Chuck vs the Intersect
by Eggwonna
Summary: What Chuck thought was going to be a normal computer job turns into an unexpected trap - one which Chuck can't escape from. His captors want him to build a new Intersect, but without his dad around, Chuck doesn't know how. Too bad they won't accept no for an answer.
1. Chapter 1

**If I owned 'Chuck' it would still be on the air.**

**No swearing or inappropriate content.**

**T****his is set in season 4. H****ere are the current details for the story: Chuck's dad is dead. Morgan knows Chuck is a spy, but Ellie and Awesome think he stopped (Although Ellie knows he is trying to find their mom). Chuck's mom is not in the picture right now. And Sarah and Chuck are in a relationship.**

**This story is from Chuck's point of view.**

* * *

I pull up to the large and official looking building, park the Nerd Herder, and step outside into the cool spring breeze. I walk to the entrance, briefcase with all the necessary computer equipment in hand. I had gotten the call for computer help earlier this morning, surprised when the person on the phone specifically asked for me. I shrugged it off, though. I do have a good reputation at the Buy More, and I need the money. Muse just released a new album and I have to add it to my collection, after all.

A full five minutes pass before someone opens the door in response to my knock. A grin spreads across my face as I extend my hand to the young woman in front of me.

"Hello, there! I'm Chuck, from the Buy More. You called this morning about some computer trouble?"

"Yes," the woman replies, shaking my hand and returning my greeting with a polite smile. "Professor Jones is in the back waiting for you. Follow me, please."

I obey, following and glancing around at the boring, empty hallway walls. "So, what's your name?" I ask, attempting the break a bit of the awkwardness.

"Cindy."

"Well, nice to meet you, Cindy. I'm Chuck Bar -"

"- Yes, you already told me that," Cindy cuts me off nonchalantly.

"Right..." Now it is ten times even _more _awkward than it was before. _Good job, Chuck._

Charismatic Cindy turns a corner and stops, taking me by surprise so I almost run into her. Thankfully my instincts pull my feet to a halt in time. "The Professor is in here, Mr. Bartowski." She extends her arm, motioning for me to go inside.

So far on the weirdness scale, this job is ranking at least to a seven out of ten. Nodding politely to Cindy, I walk into the room. It's completely empty, and I realize that this whole time I've been in this building I haven't seen one piece of furniture. My spy senses are sending out warning signals as I scan the room for bad signs - guns, spies, cameras, anything.

"You must be here to help me with my computer!" I whip around - probably too fast to seem normal - and see a man who must be the Professor Jones that Cindy mentioned. He's a bit taller than me, and at least ten years older, with a healthy build and black hair which is combed back. His navy blue and obviously expensive suit gives him a professional look, which makes me just a bit self-conscious of the wrinkles in my white button up shirt from sleeping fully dressed for work last night.

"Yes," I confirm, pushing aside the uncomfortableness of the situation. I'm just being paranoid; something that Casey tells me all the time. The last thing I want is to go all ninja on this dude just to find out that he isn't a bad guy after all. "I'm Chuck from the Buy More Nerd Herd, where we fix all your problems! So long as they have to do with electronics, that is."

Unsurprisingly, the Professor doesn't laugh at my dumb joke, just gives me a slightly confused smile and a nod.

"So..." I say awkwardly. "Where's the computer?"

"Interesting that you should ask that," the man says, walking towards me. I feel my smile slide down uncertainly. "Because I was under the impression that you would already know."

"What -?"

Without warning, Professor Jones grabs the collar of my shirt, at the same time pulling out a card with a logo on it. Instantly my eyes focus and images flood through my mind.

Agents. Gun. Blood. _Oh man_... A secret base in Chicago. Murder reports. Countless other images that send chills down my spine and goose bumps along my arms. An undercover agency called The Base.

Then it's over, and I'm blinking rapidly and shaking my head to clear my mind.

"It's him!" The Professor shouts. Two Casey-sized men come into the room, grabbing my arms from behind and holding me between them. I flash again, and in a moment the man on my left is holding his face where I punched him. My leg twists behind the other man's, ready to trip him so I can escape.

And then there is a loud, unrelenting buzzing sound. It spreads everywhere. In a matter of seconds I am on my knees on the floor, holding my head in my hands, trying to shut the noise out. And yet it isn't the buzzing that is the worst part. It is how a sharp, blinding pain is stabbing into my brain, making me gasp and groan. It feels as if it has found all the most sensitive places in my head and is squeezing them.

My attackers grab my arms once again, wrenching them away from my head and behind my back as they force me back onto my feet. Professor Jones stands in front of me, and my mind somehow registers the small remote in his hand. He presses the only button on it, and the buzzing stops. I slump as my body recovers.

"What - ?" I ask, struggling to stand upright on my own. "What was that?"

"That," the Professor smiles, "Is an airborne virus. And what are viruses made for? Computers. And who just so happens to have one of the most important computers stuck in their head? You."

"How do you know about that?" My voice rises as I regain control over my mind once again.

"We've been watching you for quite a while now, _Chuck_. Or do you prefer Charles? Charles Carmichael. Chuck Bartowski. Either one works for me. I don't care about you, after all. Just about that wonderful computer in your head and how you're going to use it for me -"

"- Not going to happen," I snap, struggling to pull away from the men holding me. "You may be able to mess with the Intersect with your little virus, but you can't make me do anything. I won't help you."

"You haven't even heard what I want you to do, Chucky!"

"It's Chuck," I say icily.

"You see, I was after your father. But then he just went and got shot, didn't he?" My eyes narrow as I pull against the arms holding me. "I'm sorry for your loss," Professor Jones adds with a smile which says the opposite.

"He wouldn't have helped you either -"

"Oh please. It would have been easy to convince him. Just grab one of his precious children and he would do anything I asked. But he's dead, so that plan won't work. But you're the second best thing, Chucky. And oh, have you got plenty of weaknesses. It was just a matter of me picking one."

"If you've hurt anyone -" I growl, heart beating faster. The hands wrapped around my arms tighten painfully.

"You'll do what?" The Professor sneers. "Don't you see, boy? If you care about your friends, the only thing you'll be doing is helping me."

"Help you do what?" I ask slowly, a lump rising in my throat.

"You're going to help me build a new Intersect."


	2. Chapter 2

I come to, greeted with a persistent headache. My hands won't cooperate as I try to raise them. That's when I really start to panic.

My eyes snap open. But I'm left blinking in darkness. The unmistakable pressure of a blindfold rubs against my face, and that's when I notice that I'm moving. A steady motion. A rumbling beneath me. I must be in a car. No, _kidnapped _in a car. By Professor what's-his-face. My head is pounding too hard to remember.

I wriggle my hands, the clinking of metal soon following. So I'm handcuffed, then. Great, handcuffed and blindfolded. And, yes, that _is _duct tape over my mouth.

The light behind the cloth suddenly changes as the sound of a car door opening sounds from above. Hands close around my arms, hauling me up and out of the trunk even as I struggle. Unfortunately it is much harder when I can't see or move my hands, and before I know it I feel myself being thrown into another trunk. The men are silent the whole time, moving quickly. As I attempt to get up, a heavy hand pushes me back down. It is soon followed by a needle injecting into my neck. And then darkness.

* * *

My head really, _really _hurts. But this time when I open my eyes I find that I can actually see. Blinking at the sudden light, I take in my surroundings. I'm slumped in a chair with wheels on the legs, in front of a long desk loaded with computer equipment. The walls are sterile white.

The sound of a door opening takes me by surprise. I look over to see the Professor entering with a pleased sneer on his face.

"Glad to see you awake, Charles. I don't want to waste more time before you get to building my Intersect."

"Hey, hey," I say hastily, putting my hands out. "I can't help you, okay? I don't know how to build an Intersect! They don't really put the instructions for how to build an Intersect _into _the Intersect, do they?"

"Come now, do you really expect me to believe that?"

"Yes! Listen, alright? Only my_ dad_ knew how to work the Intersect. I just got it shoved into my head. I'm good with computers - yeah, but I would never know where to start!"

"Well, I do hope you figure that out soon, Chuck, because I'm not a patient man. And, well, I don't know how much longer your sister has, to be honest."

"_What?_" My blood runs cold, head snapping up. "W-what does that mean? What did you do?"

"We haven't done anything yet. But I assure you, we will if you don't do a satisfactory job."

I jump to my feet. "Show me Ellie - right now - or so help me-"

"Yes?" The Professor says mockingly, cupping his hand around his ear. "What will you do? Because it looks as if I am the one who should be passing out the threats here. You build me an Intersect and I let your pretty sister go. That's the deal. No cheating."

"I can't-"

"Please, Mr. Bartowski, cut the act."

"_I don't know _how to build an Intersect! I'm telling you the truth! Please, just let me and Ellie go and I'll make sure the CIA doesn't follow you-"

"I'll let you and your sister go when you give me what I want."

There is no winning with this man. The fight drains from me and my shoulders slump. "Can I at least see her? Please?"

The Professor knocks on the door and it instantly opens. A burly man comes in, hands gripped firmly around Ellie's arm as he pulls her into the room. There are tear tracks down her face, but no harm seems to have been done – other than emotionally. She locks eyes with me almost instantly, and we both start forward. Her guard holds her back and my eyes narrow at the tightened grip on her arm. To my surprise, Instead of the step I meant to take, I pitch forward as something pulls against my leg. Looking down and trying to regain my balance, I see a chain cuffed securely around my ankle, and from there to somewhere under the desk beside me.

"Chuck!" Ellie cries, pulling against the restraining arms. "What's going on?"

"Your brother is going to build me an Intersect," the Professor says in a pleased tone.

"Chuck, you can't be serious-"

"I don't have a choice, Ellie," I retort, tugging at my leg in frustration. I turn to glare at my captor. "Look, Professor-"

"Oh please, call me William," he laughs.

"None of this is necessary! Chaining me up, taking my sister. If you just let her go-"

"Chuck, listen to me," Ellie says sternly, meeting my eyes. "Even I know that these people can't be trusted, and I try to stay as far away from this stuff as possible. You can't give them what they want. Dad wouldn't want you to. More people will get hurt than me if you do it!"

"Take her away," William waves his hand impatiently. Ellie's guard turns her towards the door to leave.

"Wait, no!" I shout, starting forward again, only to be stopped by the chain. "Please, don't hurt her!"

"Will you make me an Intersect, Mr. Bartowski?"

"I-I already told you. I don't know how-"

Without warning, William slaps Ellie in the face, so forcefully that her head moves with his hand. I leap to her aid, this time falling to the ground with the momentum against my restraints. "Don't you touch her!" I growl, getting to my knees.

"Then give me what I want," my captor says angrily before opening the door and pushing the guard and Ellie out. "Oh and Chuck?" William stops before following them, turning to look at me coldly. "You have two weeks." With that he slams the door shut, leaving me alone on the floor.

I rise to my feet, looking about the room. Sure enough, there are cameras in every corner of the ceiling. The large desk is neatly organized. A large, very expensive and high-tech computer that in any other situation I would love to get my hands on sits to the left of the swivel chair. Other wires and computer chips sit in neat drawers, which I pull out and expect. There's a file filled with papers about numerous events and agencies, no doubt just _waiting _to be typed up into an Intersect. I sink down into the chair. At least it's comfortable.

Panic begins to set in - and not for the first time. I have no clue where I am. It seems like I was transported from different cars many different times. I don't even know if it is the same day that it was when I went on the computer job. Boy, do I wish we had sent someone else. Then they would just slam the door in their face and leave them be. Or they would question them about me...The thought makes me shudder. I wouldn't even wish with that on Jeff or Lester.

William wants me to build him an Intersect...But I don't even know where to begin. There is so much material here. I can't imagine how Dad ever did it. And how am I going to stay alive if I can't give them what they want? How am I possibly going to protect Ellie?

Ellie. Those goons took her away and I have no idea where she is. They could be hurting her, or questioning her about top secret things that of course she won't know. Tears threaten my eyes at the thought of harm coming to Ellie because of this. _This _is why Dad wanted me to stay away from the spy life. _This _is why he took the Intersect out of my head, and responded so badly when I put it back in. This is why Sarah had such a hard time opening up to me. Because friends, family, memories, and emotions are a weakness in the spy life. Open up to someone; let them in, and the next day they could get a bullet to the head.

I can't stop the tears now. I have never been good at protecting myself from emotions. I wipe the salty water from my cheeks, holding my face in my hands.

_What have I gotten myself into?_


	3. Chapter 3

**This won't apply to new readers, but to the ones who have been here since before this chapter: When I started this story I wasn't sure when everything happened in the show. My sister has been re-watching everything, so now I have a better sense of things. So here is the current information for this story: ****This is set in season 4. Chuck's dad is dead. Morgan knows Chuck is a spy, but Ellie and Awesome think he stopped (Although Ellie knows he is trying to find their mom). Chuck's mom is not in the picture right now. And Sarah and Chuck are in a relationship.**

**I hope I didn't confuse anyone!**

* * *

I kick the chain restraining my ankle for the millionth time. To make the situation harder, upon inspection I found out that the metal cord isn't actually attached to the desk, but it goes down through a small hole in the floor and disappears. I've tried kicking, pulling, twisting, and anything I could possibly think of. Sighing in exasperation, I give my leg a rest. The one I've been kicking with is sore from all the movement, and the other from being pulled by the chain every time my foot collided with it. I'm just glad the leg of my jeans is protecting my leg from the cold metal; otherwise it would hurt a whole lot more. No doubt William and his agents are watching through the cameras and laughing right now.

I've been afraid to flash on anything since that jerk pulled his virus on me. From what I could tell, it's not a permanent thing; it just kicks in as long as he has it turned on. I do _not_ want to go through that again. But worse things could happen if I don't try, like Ellie getting hurt.

Clenching my jaw and popping my head under the desk so the cameras can't see, I fix my eyes intently on the chain link. And...Nothing. Apparently the Intersect has nothing say on my current situation.

Muttering some unpleasant words, I crawl out from under the desk and into the spinning chair. Looking at all of the computer equipment in front of me, I feel as helpless as ever. I could repair a computer any day, but when it comes to building an Intersect I am completely clueless.

My body just can't sit still, so I jump up, pushing the chair away. It begins to roll out of my reach, and I just barely am able to catch it with my unchained foot.

Groaning in exasperation, begin to pace. Back and forth. Left to right. Right to left. Trying to hold in all the anger I feel. Suddenly I stop and look up at the corner with the camera. "I want to talk to my sister," I demand.

The slight crackle of static begins, followed by William's voice over a speaker. "You haven't even begun on the Intersect, Mr. Bartowski," he accuses.

"I've already told you that I don't know how to build it!" I shout, waving my hands in anger. "I can't help you!"

"Then I'm afraid I can't let you see your sister," William replies snidely. The static clicks off, signaling that the conversation is over.

I fall back into the wheeled chair, holding my head in my hands. I have two weeks to build these people an Intersect. And if I don't they're going to kill Ellie, and then me, I'm sure. Who knows what they could do if they had the power of the CIA? With an Intersect of their own...they could do so many awful things. But they _will _kill Ellie if I don't do this. But I can protect her - if I can figure out how to make an Intersect, that is.

If I do it, then the world will be in danger...But Sarah and Casey and all of those other agents could stop them. They've done things like that countless times. They can do it again.

They can't protect Ellie right now; only I can. But they have to be looking for us right now. I'm sure they have countless CIA agents on this case, following leads to get to me and my sister. They'll break into this place and rescue us and then we can go home. I'll have protected the whole CIA agency by not giving into William and his plan.

But what if they don't get here in time? What if by the time they find us, we're already dead? I can't bear the thought of being responsible for harm coming to Ellie.

The decision is made. I look up to the camera again, staring it down. "William," I say. There is no response, but I'm confident that he is listening. "I'm going to need a pair of glasses."

* * *

**Sorry the chapter is shorter, but I was having some writers block. Hope you are enjoying the story! Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm really sorry about the long wait! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

A loud bang beside my head has me awake in a moment, looking around hurriedly for the threat. I glance up and see William watching me, fist still resting on the desk. I attempt to blink the sleep away from my eyes, but I'm so tired that it doesn't work.

"What?" I ask wearily.

"Apparently you do not realize the importance of your job here, Chuck," William replies tersely. "You only have one week left to build me an Intersect, and here you are _sleeping_."

I look William straight in the eyes, incredulous anger pushing away some of the tiredness. "Are you kidding me? I have been up for _hours _working on this and I am _exhausted! _Of course I need to sleep; I'm human, after all! Besides, how do you expect me to get this working if I'm not fully rested?"

"I do not intend for you to waste my limited time sleeping when you should be working!" My captor gestures towards the door, signaling someone to enter. I tense, anticipating Ellie to be dragged in once again, but it's just one of William's goons.

He enters, closing the door quickly, and comes over to us. It's then that I notice the needle in his hand, and my eyes widen as I jump up from my seat, pulling away. "Hey, hey," I protest weakly. The new man is already grabbing me roughly by the arm, pulling me closer once again. "Look, I really don't like needles -"

"And I really don't like waiting," William retorts. He nods to the man, who holds my arm still.

The flash comes instinctively. My fist comes out and up, colliding with his face. The pain comes in a flash of its own; stabbing into my skull and pressing, pushing. I hear my shouts and feel my body sliding down, hands grasping my head. Out of the corner of my eye I see William with his awful remote, and a moment after that, he presses the button and the awful pain stops.

William's body guard snatches up my arm again, fluidly sticking the needle into my skin. I wince, letting out a few quick 'ah' sounds, but am otherwise silent. It's when the needle's contents are released into my body that my eyes widen as sudden energy courses through me.

"What is that?" I gasp, and the man finally lets go. I rub my arm cautiously, feeling more awake by the second. "What did you do?"

"Merely something to get your blood pumping," William explains, fixing me with a glare. "I told you, Mr. Bartowski, that I am not a patient man. This will ensure you stay awake. I expect that you will use it to you advantage and work on the Intersect." With that, he and his henchman exit the room, leaving me breathing heavily as the fluids continue to work.

* * *

I swear I have been staring at the equipment in front of me for an hour now. I just don't know what to do next. I'm still wide awake, but a headache set in long ago. And I'm _really _hungry. I haven't eaten since I left work, which, as William said, was apparently two days ago. I let my forehead collide with the desktop as my stomach growls yet again.

I look up when I hear the door opening. A man who I have never seen before enters, and I sigh in exasperation. "I'm plenty awake enough - I don't need help. Thanks, though."

"I brought food," the man says simply, dropping a Subway to go bag on the desk. I grab it eagerly, not even caring that I look desperate. I barely even notice when the man leaves; I'm too excited about the food in front of me - two six inch Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki sandwiches and a bottle of ice cold water. I bite into one of the sandwiches and quickly decide that it is the best thing I have ever tasted.

* * *

I plug the transfer cord into the glasses. I'm finally to the point where I can test run the Intersect glasses. It's really just a few recipes that I'm uploading, but there is no way I am about to risk destroying William's top secret information in an accident.

The door opens again. _Good grief, can't they just leave me alone? _And I put on a face of defiant annoyance. That is, until I see Ellie being pushed into the room, William and one of his men right behind her.

I'm instantly on my feet, as close to her as I can reach with my leg chained to the desk. "Ellie," I say apprehensively. "What are you doing here?"

My sister meets my gaze steadily. Her eyes look to the desk, and she sees my progress on the Intersect. "I thought _one _of us should do something to stop these people."

She is very unhappy with me, I can tell. But if it was me, wouldn't she do the same thing? There isn't _anything _out there that I wouldn't do to protect Ellie; and I know she feels the same about me. We've been through far too much together to let each other get hurt.

But she said she did something. And there must be a reason that she was brought to see me. After all, it's been at least six days since I saw her last; maybe less, maybe more. It was yesterday that William had me injected with the adrenaline fluid and told me I had one week left. But it's easy to lose track of time when you're locked in a room with no windows and no watch.

"Ellie...What did you do?"

William interjects, a furious glare on his face as he looks to my sister. It makes my skin crawl. Ellie is in a bad predicament right now for whatever she did, and I can't even reach her. "Your sister here jumped her guard and broke out of her room. We were able to stop her before she made it far. But even so, I find it necessary to make sure she doesn't try something foolish again."

"Don't you dare hurt her -"

Ellie shakes her head. "Chuck I'm fine. I just regret that I couldn't get you out of here -"

"That's not the way things work here," William sneers. "If Chuck misbehaves, Ellie gets punished. But if Ellie makes trouble, Chuck will pay for it."


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you for holding in there and waiting for an update, guys!**

**Also, I just posted a new poll on my account profile where you can vote on which story I should do next!**

* * *

"No! Please - I won't try anything else, I promise -" Ellie shouts, fighting the strong arms that reach out to hold her still.

I take a quick step back, eyes widening in fear. I like to consider myself a brave man, but even so, I'm terrified at the prospect of torture or for that matter, any other kind of pain. "Whoa, whoa - wait a moment!" I say hurriedly, eyes never leaving William, who is advancing quickly. I back up further, but the length of chain has run out, and I just manage to fall on my backside.

William stops, waiting for me to continue. "Yes?" He asks impatiently.

"I-I-uh, just don't think you want to do anything hasty here-"

"You can't hurt Chuck!" Ellie interjects. I can see her at the edge of the room, breathing heavily with a guard's arm wrapped around her, keeping her still. "You need him. How is he supposed to get anything done for your project if you hurt him?"

William turns to my sister with a cool look. "Yes, it is a pity that I can't hurt him as I _so _wish to do right now," I take an audible gulp at that. "But so long as I leave his brain and hands intact, I see no reason why he won't be able to work."

"I think you underestimate how I react to pain," I point out, with a slightly-higher-than-usual-voice.

"Gordon, come over here and assist me," William orders, ignoring me altogether.

"Stop!" Ellie protests. Out of the corner of my eye I see her fighting harder, and I think she's begun to cry.

"Don't forget that this is because of you, Mrs. Woodcomb."

"Please, don't!" I squeeze my eyes shut at my sister's cry. _Deep breathes, Chuck...Come on now._

Gordon grabs my arm to pull me up, but I kick out with my right leg; the one not chained to the desk. He catches it, subsequently catching me off guard and tipping my balance. William aims a harsh kick to my ribs, and I curl into myself with a grunt. I see William giving a curt nod to Gordon, who drops my leg to the floor.

He stomps down on it. Hard. And oh, it _hurts. _I cry out - more like a mix between a sob and hiss, and try to pull my now throbbing leg away.

"Stay still or I shoot your sister," William growls. I turn my watering eyes up to him, and my blood runs cold when I see him pointing a gun at Ellie.

"I'm not moving," I reply hurriedly. I try to keep my body as still as possible, but I can't stop from jerking at the pain in my leg when Gordon ruthlessly pounds it with his foot again. I slam my eyes shut. I don't want to see -

"Ah!" I shout as the bones in my leg burn in pain as it is assaulted once again. My eyes are open wide, threatening to tear up as I stare at my right leg.

But nothing can prepare me for the agony that hits me as the guard stomps one more time. The snap of a bone is loud and clear in the room. I can't prevent myself from reaching out for it, holding my leg as I grunt in pain. Ellie is screaming, but it sounds so far away because my ears are ringing.

And then, if it's even possible, the chaos doubles. The lights go out, William is yelling, Ellie is crying, and I'm struggling for breath as I grip my leg. Strong hands wrap themselves around my chest as I'm pulled up, gasping in pain as some pressure is forced upon my leg. Gunshots illuminate the room in second intervals, and I feel the person holding me dive to the floor, taking me with them with a cry of pain as the chain runs out and my left leg pulls.

A gun screams next to my ear, and I blearily see the light from it, shortly followed by the pressure of the chain disappearing as it's broken.

"Ellie, get down!" My spirit rises for the first time in a week as I hear Sarah's voice in the dark.

"Sarah!" I call, fighting the hands which are once again dragging me away. One of them is slammed against my mouth, but I bring my elbow back, colliding with the man's stomach and loosening his grip. "Sarah!"

"Chuck!" My girlfriend replies. But I can't see her. I call again, crying out in pain as my captor's fist punches my injured leg. "Chuck!"

The lights turn on once again, making my eyes water as I blink profusely. Gordon has me in a tight grip, attempting to pull me along on the ground and avoid the bullets at the same time. My gaze searches, and then find Sarah, gun drawn and standing protectively beside Ellie, who is cowering in a corner. The man who was holding her is dead on the ground.

Gordon presses his gun to my head, forcing me onto my feet as he rises. The now broken chain drags along with my left leg, and my right leg gives out under me, making Gordon stumble as well.

In his moment of distraction, a shot rings out and his full weight slams into my back, sending me forward. I attempt to brace my hands in front of me, but end up hitting the floor on my elbows first, before Gordon's body makes me collapse completely.

Someone rushes over, rolling the man off of me with a grunt. The hands then gently turn me onto my back, and my eyes meet Casey's above me. I look beside me - Gordon's shirt is turning red quickly from where Casey shot him in the back. I turn again to the agent, who is carefully making me sit up.

"Thank you," I say, a relieved grin forming before I black out.


	6. Chapter 6

**I am really, truly sorry for the long wait. I was in a writing slump. And I also went to camp for a week - and then got caught up in a different one...But other than that I do not have a good excuse. :P**

* * *

I flicker my eyes open, seeing the familiar ceiling of the secret base beneath the Buy More. I groan, attempting to sit up before resuming the very comfortable prostrate position on the slightly-less-comfortable-bed.

Sarah is by my side in an instant, blonde hair falling over her face as she looks down at me in concern. "Hey, Chuck," she greets with a small smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Alright," I respond, rubbing my eyes absentmindedly. Then I attempt to move my legs, and give a weak hiss of pain as I jostle the broken bones. "Ah, oh, eh," I grit my teeth. "I had forgotten about that."

"Idiot," I hear Casey mutter from the table in the middle of the room. I turn my head to give him a well-deserved glare. "Always managing to get yourself caught."

"Hey," I defend, pointing to him. "This time it wasn't my fault!"

"It's always your fault -" A sharp clearing of the throat stops Casey's response, and we all look instantly to the computer and television screens lining the wall.

"General," Sarah perks up, leaving the bed to stand in front of Beckman's digital image. She must have seen my movement to sit up out of the corner of her eye because she turns back to me and gives a quick order: "Stay."

"I can't really go anywhere, can I?" I grumble. Seeing a rolling chair at the table, I attempt to reach it. It's a futile attempt and only ends in me nearly falling out of the bed entirely.

Casey takes pity on me, though, by kicking it with his foot under the table so it rolls my way. As he stands, he gives me a pointed look. "Be a man, Bartowski. That was pathetic."

My eyes narrow, but I manage to scramble - very slowly and carefully to avoid hurting my leg - into the chair and roll myself over with my left leg until I come to a stop next to Sarah.

"I hope you aren't too severely injured, Chuck," Beckman says when she sees me.

"What, this?" I say lightly, brushing the comment away with my hand. "Nah, it's nothing." Casey snorts but makes no other comments. Growing more serious, I look back to the General. "You caught William, right? I didn't see him when the lights came back on. And the Intersect glasses were just about done - he'll be able to figure them out from here. And if he has the Intersect -"

"Don't worry, Chuck," Beckman cuts me off. "Our agents caught him before he could escape the building. However, if he _had _gotten away with the Intersect, it would have been a grave situation, indeed."

"Look, General Beckman - I'm sorry. I really am. But he had Ellie -"

"I know," She replies with a heavy sigh. "I know, Chuck. I am sorry you two had to go through that. But you should never have made him an Intersect, even in the situation you were in."

"You have to understand, General," I plow on hastily. "He had Ellie! He was going to kill her if I didn't make those glasses for him -"

"I am aware of the circumstances, Mr. Bartowski. However, it was your duty to your country to keep that information secret no matter what the cost was."

"You think I could have just let my sister _die_?" I ask incredulously. "I would have thought that it was understood by now that I don't put those that I love at stake for my job -"

"I understand, Chuck," General Beckman replies, putting a hand up to cease my talking. "And as it is, no harm was done because of your choice. However, you must realize how grave it would have been had William Kolter escaped with the Intersect."

"I couldn't just let them kill Ellie."

"I know, Chuck. I know. But if something like this happens again, you must understand that sometimes duty to your country is more important than the safety of those you love. But for now, get some rest." Beckman clicks off of the screen.

"Let's get you home, Chuck," Sarah suggests tenderly.

* * *

Walking with crutches is excessively harder than it looks. And it already looks hard enough as it is. Sarah and I finally reach the plaza of the apartment complex. I stop hobbling along, staring at Ellie and Awesome's door, suddenly deep in thought.

Sarah's comforting hand touches my shoulder. "Go talk to her," She says, coming to stand in front of me. "You've both been through a lot and I'm sure she needs it. I'll be home. Just come in when you're done, okay?" I smile at her and nod. Sarah kisses me on the cheek before letting herself into our apartment.

Taking a deep breath, I walk very slowly to my sister's door before knocking. It isn't long before Awesome opens it. I'm reminded yet again just how fit he is as I'm greeted with the side of his shirtless self. It's a very odd combination that I have long ago gotten used to: The insane muscles, handsome face...And all topped off with an adorable baby being supported on his hip.

"Hey, Awesome," I greet my brother-in-law before making a bug eyed face at Clara, who giggles, making a wide toothless grin. "How's Ellie holding up?" I ask, straightening up.

"She's pretty shaken, dude," Devon replies, face serious. "Right now she's lying in bed, but she told me to make sure to send you in when you came back."

"Thanks man," I sigh, making to pat him on the back and suddenly remembering his lack of shirt. I just end up giving him an awkward wave. As I reach the hallway to go to Ellie's room, Awesome's voice stops me.

"You've got to tell her, Chuck."

I turn back, eyes pleading. "I don't want to do that to her. She has enough to deal with right now -"

"No, I mean it, she needs to know," Awesome insists. And then in a lower voice so as not to be heard. "Besides, this happened because you're a spy. And she was pulled into it without knowing what was going on. You can't let that happen again. Tell her the truth - you owe her that much."

I rub my face with my hand, standing in silence for a moment, leaning on the crutches beneath my arms. "Okay. Alright. I'll tell her." Awesome nods in thanks. I turn back, following the hallway to Ellie's bedroom.

"Come in," She calls after my gentle knock. I fumbled with the door knob before managing to get the door open, and hobble in. I lean on the door to close it, almost knocking myself over in the process. Ellie rushes to my side, leading me to take a seat on the bed before joining me a moment later. "How's your leg?" She asks, biting her lip; her usual sign of concern.

"Broken. But hey, at least it's still attached," I say, forcing a small smile onto my face.

"I was so afraid, Chuck. I thought we were going to die there." Two large tears escape my sister's eyes, and I gingerly brush them off.

"Hey, hey, it's okay now. We made it out. We're safe."

"Why did they kidnap you, though? You're not even a spy anymore." My hands suddenly become very interesting. "Right?" I can't bring myself to look Ellie in the eyes. "Right, Chuck?" My silence is the only answer she needs. "You told me you stopped!"

I look up at her angry tone. "I'm sorry, Ellie. But I couldn't stop. I -"

"Why? Why couldn't you have stopped, Chuck?"

"Things came up -"

"And were they really more important than your safety?" Ellie asks incredulously. "I didn't want you to be a spy because I was scared you would get hurt, or _killed _and _now _look what happened! You not only got yourself kidnapped but you put my life in danger, too! We're lucky we made it out alive!"

"I know," I say softly. "I know. But you have to understand, Ellie. As a spy, I'm protecting hundreds of lives. It's like if I was a police man or something, but just vamped up. I'm doing good, Ellie. And yeah, it's not a _safe _job...But it's more than I've ever had. I've spent too much of my life in the dead end job at the Buy More. Now I have a real _purpose_. I'm doing something important. And if I hadn't become a spy I never would have met Sarah. I would probably still be moping over Jill right now."

Ellie looks at me for a long moment before taking me by surprise and throwing her arms around me. I relax in her embrace, wrapping my arms around her, heads resting on each other's shoulders. "I'm so proud of you, Chuck," she whispers.

"You mean you're not mad?" I ask, surprised even further.

"Oh, I am," She confirms, pulling away to look me full in the face. "I'm mad that you didn't tell me the truth. But you've grown up so much. You stand for something now, like you said. You're helping people. I can't stay angry with you about that."

* * *

**The End!**

**I'm sorry for my unpredictableness with updates. I hope you have enjoyed this story!**


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